My own quotes

As self-aggrandizing as this may seem, have some quotes that I myself have come up with over the years.

“A man who thinks he is a threat to you is very often dangerous to you. However, in my experience, a man who thinks *you* are a threat to *him * is very often even more dangerous.”

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“So long as you have friends, your life’s not as bad as it could be.”

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“Never go out of your way to make enemies. The ones that find you will be more than enough.”

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“You know you’re doing well in terms of virtue when some guy you haven’t talked to in a while comes up to you and says, “Hey, even though we’re e-nemies, I can still respect some of the work you’re doing now.

You know you’re *really* being virtuous when you reply, “Thanks bro…wait, we’re supposed to be e-nemies?”

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“The older I get, the more it seems to me that when someone says something’s “unfunny” or “poor satire” or even “offensive,” what they’re really saying is, “this does not agree with my ideological predilictions.”

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“It was once said that one cannot worship both God and Mammon. Some would say that praying to God never got anybody anywhere, but at least going with Mammon takes you places.

The problem is, though, from what I’ve seen, Mammon does not always take you to where you actually want to go.”

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“Many of the most beautiful things in life are also the most fragile and ephemeral. Since love and friendship are so beautiful, it is fitting, I suppose, that they are also so fragile.”

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“The most rational people I have ever met have rarely described themselves as “rationalists.” Or phrased in another way, “It is much easier to say you’re rational than it is to actually be rational.”

I have also met very few self-described “elitists” who were actually “elite” in any meaningful sense.”

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“Never be afraid to simply shrug your shoulders and say “Well, if that’s your opinion, I suppose I can’t convince you otherwise. Let’s agree to disagree.” Or, at the very least, to use a Biblical turn of phrase, brush off your dust at someone’s doorstep.”

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“Always stand up to defend the rights of others. More often than not, you’ll find you’re defending your own as well. Yet in this, as in all things, circumspection and foresight are highly recommended. Campaign too strongly for the right of one man to swing his arms where another’s nose begins, and you may find your own nose bloodied as well.”

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“I really wish more people would understand that the phrase “I don’t like this anime/videogame/whatever” is NOT equivalent to “this anime/videogame/whatever is shit and you have bad taste for liking it.”

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“There are far too many people in this world who only oppose fascism when it is in opposition to their own beliefs and goals, not anyone else’s.”

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“Professed devotion to an ideal or creed is often very, very different than genuine devotion to that same ideal or creed.”

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“There are many ways to start your day, but when the first thing you hear in the morning is someone nagging or bitching at you, don’t feel too bad if you’re just a bit grumpy after you wake up.

And on that note…

Few things can brighten up a bad day more than a visit from a beloved friend.”

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“How stupid someone looks after making a mistake often depends on their conduct beforehand. A fool who admits to being a fool before messing up will at least have been proven right in that regard. A fool who insists he is infallible before erring looks doubly foolish.”

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“Whenever someone makes a big deal out of their “intelligence” and “integrity,” more often than not they end up lacking both. And whenever a self-proclaimed “skeptic” or “freethinker” extolls to you the virtues of “skepticism,” more often than not he’s really telling you to be skeptical of everyone except himself.”

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“If you ever want to d-friend somebody on LJ, whether it be me or anyone else, don’t make a big deal out of it. No matter what happens, you’ll always look worse if you do it loudly, but you’ll always look better if you do it quietly. <3”

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“Whenever someone tells you that something is a matter of “common sense,” more often than not, what they really mean is this: “I haven’t the slightest idea of what I’m talking about, and I have absolutely no relevant expertise whatsoever, but I will resolutely carry on as if I do.”

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“More and more I think relative obscurity ain’t such a bad thing either. There are few things I’m as thankful to God for as the fact that nowadays, I can just quietly enjoy my friends–all of them on LJ, and all of them from various other forums, etc.–in peace and quiet, insulated from the rages of an unfriendly world, without anyone trying to pick a fight with me. “

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“I do not believe there is any such thing as a purely honest man. EVERYONE lies, you cannot survive long in this world by telling only the truth, for there will come a time when, at the very least, you will have to tell your girlfriend that dress does not look fat even when it does, lest you sleep on the couch forever. However, I do think there are several markers of a genuinely honest man:

1: You at least try to avoid lying to yourself.

2: You do not genuinely believe the lies you tell to others.

And most importantly, 3: If you must lie, then do so. However, a truly honest man never, *ever* asks anyone else to lie on his behalf.”

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“The more of the world I see around me, the more I think that people who *pretend* to be rational are far more dangerous than those who are merely irrational. An irrational man who jettisons logic and rationality altogether will attract few to his cause besides lunatics and fools. However, an irrational man who is very good at pretending to be rational will bring to his side not only the standard assortment of madmen and morons but also a sizable number of otherwise good, decent, and intelligent people who have merely been misled.”

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“Sometimes, the most dangerous people you meet aren’t necessarily the most malicious, but the most deluded.”

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“Challenges and adversity can make a real man stronger.”

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“It’s a bad thing to be easily fooled, but it’s the worst thing to fool yourself easily.”

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“A single man who’s supremely self-deluded can be a more tenacious foe than an entire army.”

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“The better you are at excusing what you do to others, the better you’ll be at excusing what you do to yourselves.”

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“Those willing to lie for you often lie to you as well.”

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“It is generally not a good idea to entrust the protection of your liberty or your life to those who hate you and want to replace you the first chance they get. Don’t put your bets on those who are just “indifferent” to you, either.”

“People do not generally find contempt any more endearing than hatred. Indeed, it’s just as bad an idea to trust or support a man who “merely” scorns you as it is to support someone who hates you.”

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“Those who most loudly proclaim the superiority of whatever group they happen to belong to rarely exemplify it.”

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“A loser who admits he’s a loser is just a loser. A loser who thinks he’s great is both a loser and an idiot.”

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“The best and easiest way to lose your rights is to abuse them.”

“There is no such thing as freedom without responsibility. Those who forget the latter will soon lose the former.”

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“Ideas have consequences. Often unintended ones.”

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“As Jefferson once said, those willing to sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither. Unfortunately, he forgot to mention that people don’t always get what they deserve.”

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“A man who lies to you deserves scorn. A man who lies to himself deserves pity. After all, he’s hurting himself more than anyone else, in the end.”

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“In my experience, the most dangerous men are often those who prefer not having to be dangerous.”

“A wise man acknowledges the necessity of violence. The fool worships it. The former is often better than the latter in applying it.”